


Budding Friendship

by NotSoHotsuin



Category: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2
Genre: AU, Bullying, Childhood Friends, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 13:26:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11647482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotSoHotsuin/pseuds/NotSoHotsuin
Summary: School is difficult and lunch breaks are the worst. Daichi gets picked on constantly during their 40 minute break, so, he gets the idea to bribe a classmate with food to be his bodyguard. A small story of Hibiki’s and Daichi’s first meeting and how their friendship got started.





	Budding Friendship

Elementary school was what Daichi considered to be the worst stage of his life thus far.

“We’ll be your friends if you give us your food.” He remembered grimacing, and turning down the request. It was common to hear those disparaging insults every day, but they hurt nonetheless. Lunch was their longest break, and the fact they had it in their classroom most of the time made it hard to ignore his classmates. Their cafeteria was small and usually occupied by upperclassmen, which made it easy for other classes to interact with students they normally did not see during recess. Daichi was not interested in interacting with anyone anymore. It did nothing but amplify his stress.  
  
Being scrawny, weak, and awkward did not help him blend in, it only made him an easy target to pick on. His only saving grace during recess was that he had the chance to run away. Kids sat down next to him sometimes to talk, but the conversations were always self-centered. Daichi was not that bright, he was aware of it, but why did everyone think he was stupid enough not to know the difference between honesty and patronizing remarks? They put forth a false sense of friendship that left him bitter, and they always wanted something in return for their kindness. He hated how kindness was supposed to be rewarded as if it was some grand accomplishment to not be a garbage human being to everything and everyone.  
  
Daichi never found the strength to agree to their requests. He always turned them down, and they pounced on him like vipers the moment he disagreed. The fact he was not smart enough to get bullied into doing more homework actually made him happy. It saved him from most beatings, and helped him hone his skill to sprint if they tried to come after him with pitchforks.  
  
However, avoiding lunch and eating outside was not something he could do that often. They always found him. At least, in the classroom, the teacher could keep an eye out, but the idea was not as reliable when people put on a mask and pretended to be nice just to coax something out of him. He had to find another alternative. So, he scanned the room one day and spotted a kid from his class that he never talked to before.  
  
Familiar blue eyes darted between a thick library book and notebook, writing down and circling sentences for a future exam, most likely. From what Daichi knew about him without remembering his name, he seemed like a hard worker, but he never left for lunch. Not once had Daichi spotted this kid run off to the kitchen to get his prepared meal, and that was either because he was not hungry or because he did not have the time. He seemed stressed, which was all the more reason Daichi felt sorry for dragging him into his own world of problems. If he got the chance, he promised to make up for it later. Right now, he needed to look busy so the other kids could stop bugging him.  
  
“Hey~!” He bit his lip when the boy did not react. So, he slumped down next to him and accidentally bumped their shoulders together. That caught his attention, and he seemed annoyed. “Sorry!” Daichi shoved the tray of food in front of his new acquaintance, and pushed his books aside in the process. That seemed to make those blue eyes pierce into his own with utter apathy.  
  
“O-okay, um, look,” He started, but the expression his classmate was giving him was stone-cold serious, and it made him fidget. “Y-you don’t have to talk to me! I’ll leave you alone and let you study, I promise. All you have to do is sit next to me, and I’ll give you some of my food. What do you say?” The dark haired boy’s expression softened, and he seemed a little less agitated.

  
“Why?” His voice was lithe compared to his appearance. He looked far too uptight for a kid.  
“I just… Everyone’s bothering me and I thought… If I sit next to you then…” It was too difficult to explain without a little shame seeping into his words. The easiest way to put it was to say he was using food as payment to hire a bodyguard. Daichi scratched the back of his neck and pulled the tray away slowly. “F-forget it. Sorry, I shouldn’t have bothered you, I’ll-” Two hands caught onto the tray and stopped Daichi before he got up to leave.  
“So, I can have some of your food?”  
“Well… yeah. Take as much as you want.” It was so hard to read the expressions of a guy that completely seemed to lack them. It took a few seconds for the idea to sink in, and the boy gently set his book in his lap so he could have some of the fish on Daichi’s tray without having to stop reading.  
“Okay,” Daichi took notice to how he seemed to avoid eye-contact as much as possible. “-my name is Hibiki, by the way.”

This arrangement worked fine for four months. Hibiki continued joining him for lunch, which made everyone else back off. Daichi assumed it was because Hibiki looked angry whenever he could not solve a problem or understand something he was working on. The animosity in the air made him appear like a ticking time bomb ready to go off at any minute. However, every time Daichi sat down next to him, he looked completely fine with it. He could tell Hibiki grew more accustomed to their agreement when he started picking off more food off his tray.  
  
Daichi kept his promise, and avoided talking the entire time. Sitting in silence for forty minutes was not ideal, since there were questions that built up over time when he was in Hibiki’s presence. He wanted to ask him why he could not get lunch on his own, or why he was studying even during recess. Though, that would breach the agreement he made when he first approached him, so he refused and kept doodling in his own notebook in the meantime. There was such a huge contrast between them that it felt out of place for them to even be friends. Hibiki worked himself apart, and Daichi was making fancy S symbols in his notebook.  


Things went south when he saw a group of kids pick on someone at the playground. Class was dismissed and it was time to go home, which usually meant that whatever trouble you got yourself into during the day would be waiting at you near the entrance gate. Daichi spotted that kind of trouble straight away. This time, it seemed to involve a few people from his class, but he could not make out who it was they were picking on. The kid that got backed into a corner held a book in front of his face when another kid swung his fist. The second kid was trying to pry the book out of his hands, and kicked his shins to get him to let go. No matter what this kid did, it was unfair for him to be ganged up on like this, and Daichi felt like evening the odds.  
  
“Hey! Back off!” He yelled, and forced himself between them with his arms spread wide to drive them apart. “Don’t gang up on people! If you wanna fight, fight fair! I’m ready!” It was better to even the score than let them have the advantage. The two stepped back, and Daichi continued to glare at them, hoping he could pass off as even a bit intimidating. The two muttered something between each other before taking a step back. They made an empty threat as they turned to head back into the school. One of them tossed a notebook at Daichi before he followed the other bully. Daichi did not budge, not because it did not hurt, but because they actually left the scene. He stood there for a minute, relief and pride filling him to the brim with joy.  
  
“That… That worked? Phew! Haha! Good! Because I was not ready to fight, like, not at all.” Daichi sighed and dropped his backpack down on the ground to help gather the poor kid’s belongings. The kid wore the same uniform, but had a hoodie on that made him practically indistinguishable. Daichi got down on his knees next to him and held out the notebook and papers he collected. The items were a little strained and filthy, but otherwise in good condition.  
  
“I don’t blame you for using your book as a shield, but you really ought to have more sense than to let them back you into a-” Daichi paused when he noticed a familiar set of blue eyes beneath the hoodie. “Hibiki?” The boy visibly tensed up before grabbing his items in a rush and darting off. Daichi tripped on his bag when he hurried to get up, and Hibiki took off into the busy streets.

  
“W-wait!” Daichi would have followed had he not already lost sight of him. “Damn it… What’d I do?”

* * *

  
Daichi knew he promised not to interfere, but Hibiki had to know that he did not mean anything bad by it. His classmate did not bring it up in class the next day, and as part of their agreement, Daichi could not talk to him while he was working. He wanted to say something after class, but the guy was practically impossible to get a hold of during breaks. Hibiki had a habit of blending into an open crowd and vanishing without a trace. It was just too easy to lose a short kid with black hair among many other short kids with black hair. However, once class was dismissed at the end of the day, he made an added effort to tail him and follow his steps. There was no real reason to do so. Hibiki continued holding up his part of their deal, and appeared as if he would continued to do so until Daichi stepped out of line or he got bored of it.  
  
Daichi just wanted to make sure Hibiki was okay.  
  
He took a peek around the corner, and saw Hibiki walk into the library. With careful steps, he took a hold of the door before it closed, and walked inside as well. Their library was not huge, but it had a good row of tall shelves blocking his view. He turned his back against one of them, and tried to catch a glimpse of the other side so he could make out Hibiki’s form without getting caught. If he had not promised to stay quiet during lunch, then approaching Hibiki would have been much easier.  
  
Daichi screamed and fell back when a hand patted his shoulder all too suddenly. His hand slipped on the bookshelf and he fell to the floor. The person before him was none other than his classmate, who figured out he was being followed long before Daichi stepped into the library.  
  
“D-don’t do that! Y-you could have killed me! Geez, man!” Daichi caught Hibiki making a noise, his lips curving only slightly, but he was not sure if he was holding back laughter or a cough.  
“What are you doing here?”  
“W-what do you mean? It’s a library, haha…”  
“You never come in here.”  
“I-I come in here enough!” Hibiki deadpanned.  
“If you did that, you wouldn’t be drawing during breaks...” Hibiki held his hand out for Daichi to take a hold of, and Daichi grabbed onto him to heave himself off the floor.  
“So, what are you really doing here, Daichi?”  
“Um… well…” Hibiki walked past him to one of the free tables to put his books down, and pushed his bag to the floor for more room. Daichi followed him around, but realized he might be doing them both a favor if he just left. “I can leave if you’re bu-”  
“No, keep talking, I’m listening.” It was a little hard to believe when Hibiki went back and forth between the shelves until he finally took a seat at the table. As surprising as it was to know Hibiki wanted to hear him out or even give him time of day, he could not talk to someone who was so fixated on doing other things. It felt rude to interrupt.

“Sorry, I… I know I said I’d leave you alone, but they were picking on you, and…” He hesitated. Hibiki met his gaze, but said nothing. Daichi could figure out most people’s intentions just by looking at them or listening to the way they expressed themselves, but not Hibiki. He blamed himself for what happened yesterday at the school gate. The two bullies must have seen them spend time together in class, and assumed they could get something out of Daichi by putting pressure on Hibiki. It was only speculation, but Daichi did not want to get him into trouble by accident.  
  
“I won’t force you to sit next to me anymore… so…” The look of apathy on Hibiki’s face was unintelligible up until he moved his arms to grab his bag. Daichi assumed he was looking for his notebook, and that it was his cue to leave. To his surprise, Hibiki pulled out a small box with a blue lid. The contents from the looks of the see-through plastic told him it was something edible.  
  
“Mom packs snacks so I can stay behind and study. Do you want some?” Daichi raised his eyebrows, and his eyes widened at the question, dumbfounded.  
“Huh?”  
“Food. Are you hungry?” Daichi scanned the content and cocked his head slightly. It felt so surreal to be asked to join. Being the host was a position he felt comfortable in up until recently, and seeing Hibiki invite him for lunch put him out of his element. Splitting a single lunch in two did make him crave something else, but it did not feel right to take him up on the offer.  
“But I thought…”  
“No?”  
“N-no! I mean, yes! O-of course I’m hungry, but-” Hibiki opened the lid and held out half a sandwich that was wrapped in a floral patterned napkin.  
“Here.” Daichi reached out and took the small sandwich into his hand. It was not much, but it looked better than most of the school food. Cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and some type of meat he did not know the name of was pressed between two loaves. He took a seat next to Hibiki and put the bread to his lips to get a small taste of what he was in for.  
  
“Thanks.” Hibiki hummed, and munched on his own half.  
“We can still sit next to each other.” Daichi would never have thought someone like Hibiki would be talking with his mouth full. He seemed like such a perfectionist.  
“You… wouldn’t mind?”  
“No,” Hibiki blinked and turned to meet Daichi’s gaze. “...Do you?”  
“Um, uh, n-no, I don’t mind!”  
“Oh.” Hibiki fixed his eyes on his history homework and began copying sentences and writing them down into his notebook. “...Then let’s hang out more.” There was a faint smile on Hibiki’s lips that went by unnoticed- hidden behind a loaf of bread.

 

Daichi did not know it right away, but he just made a friend.


End file.
